It’s usually the people who believe that they’re living out their best lives, posting Instagram photos of traveling to their coffee shop and misquoting celebrities, who have the least interest in asking life just how much more it has to offer. These are people who feel that fate has smiled on them and, thus, shouldn’t shoot for more.
Music can often feel that way, especially if it is made by people from Western, rich countries. But exploration is always needed. The future is unwritten, and who knows what turning a few stones will bring about. Grizfolk utilize experimentation and indie-pop familiarity on their new EP “Sign of the Times” to try and uncover what life has in store for them.
It could all be terrifying. Troubling, tragic things may actually be the ones hidden around the corners. But Grizfolk choose hope over despair. The EP opener, “Sign of the Times,” with its moody indie-folk hooks, is, on the surface, a song about untruthful lovers. But dig a bit further, and you’ll find a song about the bravery of not giving up.
In fact, the EP is a testament to endurance. “Paper Cranes” leads with sweet ukulele hooks and a melodic motif created for modern radio. This is another song where melancholy leads toward belief.
And, if hope wasn’t an important ingredient, how could the band allow the grandiose production of songs like “Decoy” or “Medicine Man”? These are tunes meant to hit every speaker and earpods with the hammering force melodic motifs meant to be hummed by stadium-sized audiences.
A new release is a new opportunity for a band to define what they’re all about. The EP’s closer, “Gold” might be closest to letting listeners know what Grizfolk is all about. This is indie-folk treated to the giant production that’s made groups like One Republic or Imagine Dragons radio staples in the modern era. Grizfolk are looking for the same and experimenting with the kinds of sounds that may just get them there.
Social media links
